Chapter 10: Start of Something New
"It's either one of them is dense, or both of them are idiots. Either way, they're hell slow."
Alice Academy, Cafeteria
"She did it on purpose." Nonoko muttered as she glared evilly at Luna's table a few rows away.
"No, she didn't." Mikan sighed, "The jar slipped off her hands. She was wearing slimy gloves; it could've happen to anyone."
"And it just so happens to be Koizumi," Sumire said sarcastically, "Come on, Mikan, why are you defending her? In case that jar knocked you that hard, you're the victim here."
"Yeah, thanks for reminding me." Mikan said wryly, rolling her eyes. She twirled her latte and slammed her head on the table, "I am never touching another slick creature again!"
"You say that now but I won't be too sure." Misaki mumbled. She then followed Nonoko's gaze, "I agree with Nonoko. It was not purely coincidental."
"It is so!" Mikan argued, snapping her head.
"Why are you defending her?!" Sumire asked quite furiously, "Mikan, she's the Queen Bitch, and she drowned you in soda on your first day of school!"
"I haven't forgotten."
"Then why are you being Miss Prissy?!"
"Because…" Mikan started, hesitating for a moment, then continued with a sigh, "I give up. I have no idea either."
"What happened when you were in the garden?" Hotaru asked bluntly, not taking her eyes from her crab roe.
"What happened there was between Sakura Mikan and Koizumi Luna."
"I knew you'd say that." The amethyst-eyed said, and nonchalantly pulled out her infamous Baka Gun from her little Gucci purse. No one had an idea how she managed to fit in inside, but with Imai Hotaru, nothing's impossible. "Now, which do you prefer? Telling the truth or the Gun?"
"Neither…?"
"The magic words." Hotaru then shot Mikan with her Gun, who howled in extreme pain after getting hit with a big bonk! "Ah. Music to my ears."
Alice Academy, Quadrangle
"Seriously, dude!" Koko narrated excitedly at the bored-looking raven-haired, "Call me shit—"
"Shit."
"Ha ha, very funny, Hyuuga. As I was saying, after all that shit—"
"Frog insides," bespectacled Yuu interrupted.
"I don't give a shit, and don't interrupt me again. Oi! Hey— hey Natsume, don't walk out on me!" Koko yelled as he saw Natsume strolling away from the table, "Oi, Natsume!" He then started running after Natsume, trying to make him sit down and listen.
Tsubasa shook his head and turned his attention back to the rest of the guys, "But really, acting like she wasn't showered in frog shit is an Oscar-worthy."
Mochu yawned, "I'm getting sick of these shit."
Ruka shook his head, "All you keep saying is pure shit." He then caught sight of three pairs of girls walking out of the cafeteria, "But simply walking out without even throwing a fit doesn't seem like Mikan."
"I wonder if something really happened with Koizumi." Mocho mused out loud as he chucked his can of root beer towards Tsubasa.
"Who knows…" Yuu muttered, always the quiet one.
Alice Academy, Library
"I didn't know you visit the library." Natsume's voice rang on Mikan's head. He leaned on the shelf, his eyes boring at Mikan, somewhat jaded.
'Can my day get any worse?' she thought, then voiced out loud, "Hello, Natsume."
"What, no mushy love scene?"
"You're the one who's mushy."
"Guys don't get mushy."
"Defend that to Anna. Mochu's terrible."
"I thought you hate the library."
"I thought you hate the library."
"Stop repeating, you're annoying."
"That's not the way to speak to your girlfriend, Natsume cher."
This must've struck Natsume, and he started glancing around from left to right and vice-versa, finally landing back at her smirking features and harshly whispered, "You know this is just a game, idiot girl."
"No need to remind me, dumbass."
Pause. No one spoke for a moment. Mikan continued shuffling through the books, while Natsume just stared soullessly at the attendance chart across him.
"Seriously, though," the raven-haired asked quite comically, "'A Walk to Remember?'"
Alice Academy, By the Library Door
"God, aren't they going to do anything?" Youichi said impatiently, as he scowled at the two seniors from the window.
Aoi tapped her feet and heaved a big sigh, "It's either one of them is dense, or both of them are idiots. Either way, they're hell slow."
"Well, they are just pretending."
"Come on, you have to be kidding me. Besides, I have my sources."
"Who? Hotaru?"
"No," Aoi rolled her eyes, "I went to a fortune teller."
"What good does a fortune-teller do?"
"Oh, I dunno!" The girl sighed exasperatedly, "Maybe because they tell the future?"
"What did the gypsy say?"
"That they were meant to be together, isn't it obvious?"
"Are you sure those are her exact words?" Youichi asked in a rather accusing voice, staring with his eyes raised at his so-called, self-regarded future sister-in-law.
Aoi blinked, and then sighed, "Fine, no. She said something about a cat."
"My sister's not a cat… I think."
"No, dumbo, Natsume's the cat."
"Why is your brother the cat? I personally think he's not fluffy."
"I don't mean that, future-little-brother. He's a black cat."
"Right, and you're a princess."
Aoi's face lit up, "I am?"
Youichi rolled his eyes, "And you're actually older than me." He turned his attention back at the two seniors. His eyes widened.
The raven haired was checking his sister out and was reaching for her little behind.
"Fuck." Get out of there while you can, Natsume. My sister can give Chuck Norris a run for his money-making head turning ability. Get ready, this is the Start of Hell.
Alice Academy, Class 3-A
Saying the Senior Class is thundered in chaos and pandemonium is a total understatement. The class' Geography teacher trembled as soon as he stepped in that he didn't even bother proceeding. They had the rest of the hour free all to themselves.
The Academy's hottest guy prides were all clustered at the very back. A certain raven haired looked furious with his fierce gaze, while girls were trying to get near him and treat his scarlet cheek bearing a female handprint. The Triple Trouble were all laughing their butts off; Tsubasa and Yuu were both trying to find out the reason behind it through the Academy's hidden cameras, while Ruka was trying his best not to laugh and stick with his best friend, amidst the hilarious sight.
The only uncaring people in class were the Academy's "Newbies-turned-Deities." The pink-haired was talking animatedly with the emerald-eyed, something about Gucci and Prada; The group's Chemist and Cook Duo were discussing their new recipe; stoic amethyst-eyed inventor was, well, inventing an unknown gadget— probably to be used later against Mikan's 'idiocy'— while a confident brunette sat soullessly with the latest ViVi magazine on her desk, her free hand fiddling absentmindedly with her phone.
Screams were heard in the background.
"Natsume!"
"What happened to you cheek?"
"Why isn't that girl with you?"
"She's your girlfriend, isn't she?"
"Did you break up?"
"Then will you go out with me?"
"No, he's with me now!"
"No he's not!"
"I love him!"
"But he loves me!"
"Idiots." Hotaru muttered from her seat as she shot each of them with her Gun.
Mikan glanced at her best friend before shaking her head and turning her attention back to the magazine, "It won't do you any good, Hotaru dear."
"Will it do you any bad for telling me what happened with Koizumi?"
"Yes."
"Then you just won yourself another Gun shot."
Behind them, the gunshot was drowned by female screams. The Triple Trouble was all discussing about the 'incident' beside the tears in their eyes.
"Ah, tears of joy." Koko snickered as he wiped them off.
Kitsuneme choked his off, "That was something that doesn't happen everyday— to Natsume, no less!"
"Smack!" Mochu exclaimed exuberantly as he slapped his lap, "Straight on the cheek! Encore, Natsume, encore!"
"Shut up." Natsume's harsh voice muttered, sending chills down their spines, though the three completely missed it. Tsubasa and Yuu were highly engrossed on the latter's laptop; Tsubasa eager for information and Yuu for just to pass time. Ruka was tuning in his iPod; his earphones stuck on his ears, which Natsume annoyingly pulled off and grumbled, "If I'm suffering, so should you."
"It's not my fault that you got slapped by your girlfriend because you were getting so perverted and can't wait for dismissal time." Ruka whispered furtively as he avoided his best friend's eyes.
"I wasn't being perverted, Ruka. I was reaching for a book."
"Right, and the book just happened to be next to her arse."
"What do you think I should've chosen? Books that talk all about fairy tales and unicorns that were lined up above it? Fuck off."
"My point is that you 'incidentally' desired the book beside the female's bottom. I thought you had much sense in you."
"I do, Ruka. I didn't even know her butt was there!"
Ruka raised his eyebrows, finally meeting his best friend's gaze, who in turn gazed away, his cheeks burning up.
"Fine, maybe I do." Natsume grumbled, "But it wasn't my intention."
"Really, now?"
"She was flat. Both front and behind."
"This conversation is going nowhere."
"C'mon, Ruka, you're a playboy. You notice those things too."
"Wrong, pal. I don't check on my best friend's girlfriend. Now be a good gentleman and apologize to Mikan."
"Why should I?"
"She's your girlfriend."
"Anything else?"
"Her best friend is Imai Hotaru."
"I'm going, I'm going!" Natsume said hastily, suddenly standing up causing his fan girls sigh and faint dramatically.
"Pervert alert." Misaki muttered towards Mikan's direction as she, Sumire, Anna, Nonoko and practically the rest of the class (besides Mikan and Hotaru) followed Natsume's every movement, who was approaching the brunette's direction. The class' clamor completely died out, as if they were watching a real live drama on its way to the thrilling climax.
Alright, so maybe they were.
"Hyuuga." Hotaru spat, covering up for Mikan. She knew Mikan's not really reading the magazine, although her acting's quite good. Another one of "Signs That Means Mikan's Suffering From Her Tumor" Youichi compiled when he was younger.
"Imai." Natsume nodded, giving her a 'Give us alone time', which Hotaru replied soullessly with raised eyebrows, mentally telling him to 'Drop dead'.
Natsume cleared his throat and said, breaking the engulfing silence, "Mikan, we need to talk."
He heard Hotaru give a snort, "So it's Mikan now, is it?"
"Who are you?" Natsume said irritatingly, sending the female Hitler of the 20th century an aggravated gaze, "Her mouth substitution?"
"Got a problem with that?"
"I want to talk to her."
"Anything you'll say to her gets through me first."
"What happens between us is between us."
"Take it or leave it."
"I won't leave until I talk to her."
"Then I'll just have to force you to leave."
"Try me."
"What a waste of time."
"Five minutes."
"Three."
"Three and a half."
"Two."
"We're not even out of the room by that time!"
"One minute."
"One minute and forty."
"Thirty."
"Minutes."
"Seconds."
"Drop dead."
"Dream on."
"Look—"
But whatever Natsume wanted Hotaru to see was beyond anyone's knowledge, for they heard a loud thump! from behind Hotaru, where supposedly a bored Mikan sat, but instead found themselves a brunette unconscious on the floor.
"Mikan!"
Alice Academy, Infirmary
"What do you mean you don't know?!" Natsume demanded as he slapped the doctor's table with his hands, thus making everything on top of it tremble.
"I'm sorry, Natsume, but her medical files weren't submitted. Mikan's parents refused to give any information regarding her health."
"What about Physical Exams?!"
"She doesn't take them."
"Aren't there any useful doctors in this hellhole Academy?!" Natsume yelled as Ruka barged in the room, trying to calm him down.
"Natsume, have some sense!" Ruka whispered hurriedly on his ear as he made him sat down.
"Stop talking about having some sense to me, Nogi! You're the one who fell with Stalin's descendant!"
His best friend started heating up. He was informed that Natsume's cracked up, but telling him he fell for the Mistress of Blackmailing is taking things too far. Plus, he called him Nogi, not Ruka.
"Snap out of it, Natsume," Ruka said in a dead voice, "Shouting won't exactly help Mikan in this state."
"What do you know?"
"Because I know you enough, Natsume, to figure what you're about to do next. Stop this insanity. I know she's your girlfriend and all, but you have to stay calm."
Natsume sighed as he walked out of the room, 'What if she's not? Why am I being so cracked out about her anyway?'
"Yes…" Hotaru said plainly to her phone, Yuka's voice was barely heard. "She'll be sent. Immediately."
Around Mikan's bed was where all of the girls cramped their way in. They were either staring blankly at a random thing or putting their heads on their hands. All of them had the same expression: Dead Worried.
"Why are you all being so jumpy?" Koko asked, always the one with the first questions, "I mean, fainting happens to everybody, right? Perfectly normal."
"Not with Mikan, it isn't." Hotaru's voice answered his question as she shut her phone and proceeded towards Mikan's bed, finally settling down beside the lifeless body.
"What, she never fainted?" Mochu asked, "No sweat then. Neither have I."
"That's not the point." Anna replied, finally speaking for the first time ever since Mikan collapsed, "Mikan doesn't simply just drop unconscious on the floor. There's only one reason."
"What, Youichi's Rumor Tumor?"
"What's a rumor got to do with this anyway?" Kitsuneme pressed in as he flipped a yen.
"It was—"
"Stop." Hotaru cut in, "Not yet."
"But—"
"No."
"Don't I have the right to know?" A voice from the doorway asked. Natsume was leaning on the doorframe, finally standing straight and started walking towards Hotaru, "I'm the boyfriend, after all."
"If you really are, I don't doubt she would've double-minded to tell it."
The whole room suddenly froze. Hotaru was right— hell, when was Imai Hotaru ever wrong anyway?
"It's not like she had time to tell between today and yesterday." Natsume defended himself, keeping his cool.
"Mikan's not the type who'll keep it laying low."
"What do you know?"
"I'm her best friend."
Silence.
Cough.
And again.
They turned towards the bed, where the coughs were heard.
Mikan's eyes were barely open, but she was coughing hard. Her face was turning pale.
Then there was something coming out of her mouth.
Something wet.
Something red.
Something that we call 'blood'.